The subject matter of the present disclosure broadly relates to the art of gas spring devices and, more particularly, to a gas spring assembly that includes a jounce bumper assembly capable of rotation about an axis while maintaining an approximately fixed axial position during such rotation as well as a method of assembling such a gas spring assembly.
The subject matter of the present disclosure finds particular application and use in conjunction with suspension systems of wheeled vehicles, and will be shown and described herein with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the subject matter of the present disclosure is also amenable to other applications and environments, and that the specific uses shown and described herein are merely exemplary. For example, the subject matter of the present disclosure could be used in support structures, height adjusting systems and actuators associated with industrial machinery, components thereof and/or other such equipment. Accordingly, the subject matter of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to use associated with vehicle suspensions.
Motor vehicles of most types and kinds include a sprung mass, such as a body or chassis, for example, with a suspension system disposed therebetween. Gas spring assemblies, which are also commonly referred to as air springs, are commonly known and widely used in vehicle suspension systems. Typical suspension systems include a plurality of spring devices as well as a plurality of damping devices that together permit both sprung and unsprung masses of the vehicle to move in a somewhat controlled manner relative to one another. Movement of the sprung and unsprung masses toward one another is normally referred to in the art as jounce motion while movement of the sprung and unsprung masses away from one another is commonly referred to in the art as rebound motion.
A gas spring assembly generally includes a flexible sleeve or bellows that extends between a pair of end members. In the assembled condition, the end members are secured to the flexible sleeve or bellows in a substantially permanent manner such that a fluid-tight spring chamber is formed within the gas spring assembly. Generally, the range of motion of a gas spring assembly extends between a fully compressed condition and a fully extended condition. To eliminate contact between opposing portions of the sprung and unsprung masses, contact between opposing portions of components of the suspension system or contact between any combination thereof, a jounce bumper is commonly installed within the spring chamber on one of the end members of the gas spring assembly. The jounce bumper prevents opposing portions of the suspension system from directly impacting one another. Thus, during jounce motion, an opposing component will contact the jounce bumper rather than impacting the component on or near which the jounce bumper is mounted.
Jounce bumpers of a variety of types, kinds and configurations have been developed and are widely used to prevent direct contact between vehicle and/or suspension system components. However, one difficulty with known jounce bumper constructions relates to the connection arrangements that are commonly utilized to secure the jounce bumper within the spring chamber to one of the end members of the gas spring assembly. In particular, it has been observed that under certain conditions of use repeated contact of an end member with a jounce bumper of a known construction can result in the jounce bumper becoming detached or otherwise disconnected from the end member. As mentioned above, however, gas spring assemblies are generally considered to be permanently assembled. As such, the detached jounce bumper will normally remain free within the spring chamber until the gas spring assembly is replaced.
It is believed desirable to develop gas spring assemblies and methods of assembling the same that are capable of overcoming the foregoing and/or other problems and disadvantages.